


Rules of Affection

by longleggedgit



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 11:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1185524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longleggedgit/pseuds/longleggedgit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nagisa sets the box of chocolates—pink with red hearts and topped with a red bow—in Rei's lap, Rei can only stare at first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules of Affection

**Author's Note:**

> ugh this is short and unbetaed and kind of dumb but I JUST COULDN'T LET VALENTINE'S DAY GO BY WITHOUT WRITING SOMETHING FOR THESE TWO BECAUSE THEY'RE STUPID IDIOTS AND THEY'RE RUINING MY LIFE.
> 
> PS CHECK END NOTES FOR AMAZING FANART

When Nagisa sets the box of chocolates—pink with red hearts and topped with a red bow—in Rei's lap, Rei can only stare at first. 

"Nagisa-kun?" he says after a moment, feeling a little warmth rise to his cheeks. "What's this for?"

Nagisa gives Rei a slightly exasperated look, like he's being particularly simple. "It's for Valentine's Day, Rei-chan."

Rei has a few possible responses to that—primary among them, _Boys aren't supposed to be the ones_ giving _chocolate on Valentine's Day, Nagisa-kun_ —but he predicts any such objection would be completely lost on Nagisa, so he just says "Thank you" instead.

Nagisa smiles brightly, turns toward the cubbies and starts changing for swim practice, and Rei stays seated on the club room bench, already changed but waiting for Haruka and Makoto to arrive; he's curious as to what kinds of ridiculous boxes and bows Nagisa has prepared for _them._

But when Haruka and Makoto appear, Nagisa doesn't give them anything at all. 

"I'm gonna beat you to the pool, Haru-chan!" Nagisa chirps, completely changed and showing no sign of producing any more chocolates as he tugs on his swim cap and runs out the door, impervious to Haruka's scowl.

"Don't run by the pool, Nagisa!" Makoto calls after him. Then, after a pause, "Rei! You got chocolates!"

"I—" Rei sits frozen for a handful of seconds before jolting upright, tossing the box into his cubby and rushing out after Nagisa (which he'll have to remember to apologize to Makoto for later).

"Nagisa-kun," Rei says, approaching the edge of the deep end of the pool and peering down. Nagisa surfaces from underwater, fixes his goggles on his forehead and peers right back up. "You didn't give Haruka and Makoto anything."

Nagisa manages to tread water in a manner that appears somehow mischievous. "Yeah . . . I know."

"But—" Rei pushes his glasses higher up his nose and struggles to get the words out. "Why did you only give them to me?"

Nagisa tilts his head and puts on a great show of considering the question carefully. "Hmm," he says. "I wonder."

Without another word, he positions his goggles back over his eyes and submerges again, completely without regard for the fact that he's left Rei standing alone by the side of the pool quietly having a panic attack.

 

Nagisa checks his phone at 11:13 and tries not to let the fact that he doesn't have any more unread text messages than he did five minutes ago make his stomach hurt any worse.

"I guess not, then," he mutters, falling back against his pillows and letting his phone drop to his chest. At least Rei didn't confront him and make him go through a humiliating rejection speech. It's probably better that they just pretend it never happened.

The thought isn't that reassuring, but Nagisa closes his eyes and tries to force himself to fall asleep even so, because sleeping is easier than thinking too hard about how he's going to look Rei in the eye tomorrow.

At 11:48, his phone buzzing against his collarbone makes Nagisa's eyes snap open, which is fine seeing as forcing himself to sleep wasn't really working out anyway. 

"Hello?" Nagisa puts the phone to his ear on instinct, even though if he had taken a moment to really register the name _Rei-chan_ flashing across the screen he might have hesitated. 

"Nagisa-kun," Rei says, sounding weirdly out of breath. "Are you awake?"

"Ah—" Nagisa decides not to point out what a dumb question that is. "Yes?"

"Can you—come outside?"

Nagisa jerks upright and tears jumps off the bed to peer out his window; sure enough, there's Rei, looking up from the driveway, hard to make out in the dark but definitely underdressed for the weather, in only a sweatshirt and pajama pants. 

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa almost trips over everything he's neglected to pick up off the floor of his room in his hurry to get out the door and down the stairs, only realizing once he's outside that he's barefoot and his phone is still pressed to his ear. He slips the phone into his pocket as he approaches Rei and tries to ignore the cold burn of the pavement against the soles of his feet.

Rei, normally the world's biggest nag, doesn’t even seem to notice Nagisa's feet. He fumbles in his sweatshirt pocket for something and finally pulls out a simple Dars bar, which he holds out to Nagisa with two visibly shaking hands.

"I'm sorry," he says, breath puffing out in front of him, "I had to get whatever they had at the convenience store in the station—they were out of the Valentine's stuff already—"

Nagisa accepts the chocolate bar and stares down at it. When he looks up again, Rei's hands are back in his pocket and his head is bowed. "I'm sorry it took me so long," he adds, in a quiet voice. 

That's when all the giddiness that's been building inside Nagisa in the past sixty seconds bubbles over and explodes. He laughs, surprised and delighted, and launches himself at Rei, who barely has time to free his hands before Nagisa is hugging him tight, burying his face in Rei's sweatshirt and laughing again when Rei finally starts to hug him back.

"Thank you, Rei-chan," Nagisa says, tilting his head back to grin at Rei, who looks flustered and anxious but not at all unhappy. "It's perfect."

Nagisa figures the last few minutes of Valentine's Day is basically the best possible time for a first kiss ever, so he snakes his arms around Rei's neck and edges closer, stepping up on the toes of Rei's shoes to give himself a boost as he leans in.

"Nagisa!" Rei exclaims, stopping Nagisa's advances with two firm hands on his shoulders. "Your feet! You're going to catch a cold!"

"Rei- _chan_ ," Nagisa whines, letting his forehead fall forward to hit Rei's chest, because now the moment's totally ruined.

Until Rei insists on picking him up and carrying him all the way inside, and Nagisa decides this might not be such a terrible end to a Valentine's Day after all.

_end_

**Author's Note:**

> [thecojsz](http://thecojsz.tumblr.com) owns my soul because yet again my fic is graced with [her gorgeous art](http://thecojsz.tumblr.com/post/76759154877/some-silly-doodle-of-sassmaster-hazuki-hmm-i) sobs i am not worthy


End file.
